Grains and Legumes

[veganman]

I am new to this site and 100% raw eating (I have been 100% raw 6 days) and have noticed that it appears most people on this site and most of the raw recipe books don't work much with sprouted grains or legumes. Why is that? I would think there are pate's, burgers, dips, etc you could make, but am wondering if there are problems or issues with sprouted grains and legumes that I don't know about. I must admit, I am having a hard time with the taste of sprouted grains like quinoa and amaranth. Buckwheat seems okay and pretty bland.

Any feedback?

[mattsonfamily]

I love the sprouts. I keep 3 easy green sprouters going all the time. I also use stainless steel wire baskets from the dollar store to sprout large quantities. They have good drainage and are easier to use than most sprouter sets. Now I have Kamut, Rye and Wheatgrass going. Garbanzo's and Mung beans just finished and I have a lentil mix and alfalfa mix going too.

Differrent "un-cook" books seem to use different staples. Ann Wigmore's books, Sunfood Cuisine and Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook are some of my favorite. They use more sprouts and seeds.

I don't seem to like the heavy ground nuts, nut cheeses or dehydrating entrees. I mostly crave fresh greens and sprouts moving away from the dried sweet fruits and nuts the longer I stay 100% raw. Kale is a big staple in my diet with daily use of Rejuvelac and wheatgrass. I love the Kale Avocado salad in Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine!

Tonight's dinner consisted of lots of crunchy Mung Beans sprouted (I keep them small), cut up avocado, sweet onion, mushrooms and tomato drizzled with olive oil, Nama Shoyu and freshly ground pepper with some living flax bread. Keep it simple so it's easy.

Hope this helps. I love to sprout!

Mindi

[rawpriestess]

there is controversy in the raw food movement, whether sprouts are actually good for you or not.


I love sprouts and eat them alot.

In fact I have alfalfa, and mung beans going right now, with some mustard too.

we actually grow our own mustard, and have tons of seeds, and they make the best sprouts. mmmmmmmmm

But I don't know what you mean about rawbies not eating sprouts, we have a whole forum devoted to sprouts and juicing.

[veganman]

Mindi -

what do you do with the Kamut and Rye sprouts? How long do you let them sprout for? I found with the quinoa and amaranth had a tangy taste that was not too appetizing. The longer the sprout, the worse it was.

RawPriestess -

I am new to this forum and hadn't seen the sprouting forum. I just gathered from some posts here and info in some cookbooks that legumes and grains were not used in very many recipes. I will check out the sprouting forum. Thank you!

[rawpriestess]

you are so welcome, I think sprouts are a delcious crunchy addition to most salads.

[Rawkinlocs]

I'm one of the raw fooders who doesn't care for sprouts. I agree with RP, there are two sides of the raw fence concerning them...some say they are THE best food, powerpacked with nutrients, etc. while others have said they are way overrated and even toxic.

I just don't care for the way they taste. I DO sometimes have mung bean sprouts in certain Asian-inspired recipes such as Pad Thai or Stir-Dry veggies or I may have alfalfa sprouts in salad or in Alissa's Almost Tuna recipe...but outside of that, I don't eat them.

[mattsonfamily]

I use both the rye and kamut for crackers, breads, cereals etc. The sprouted rye is my favorite for rejuvelac and sourdough crackers. One of my favorite uses for the kamut is as the "bean" for chili, it gives it a great chewy texture and good flavor. The kamut is a very large grain and has a nutty sweet flavor. It makes a great straight up cereal with some fresh fruits and nut mylk. I don't let the tails get longer than the grains for most sprouts. A bitter flavor can develop if they get too mature. I start tasting my sprouts when they first start, then you can determine when they taste best to you. Quinoa and Amaranth can taste sour from them being too wet and not enough drainage. Try to sprout them differently. Use a fine strainer basket and rinse a few extra times each day or I use a hemp bag above my sink for those that need a lot of drainage. I good source of info is at www.sproutpeople.com .

Here is an easy rye cracker recipe:

3 parts almond pulp
1 part ground golden flax
1 part sprouted rye (processed or homoginized with a blank blade on a juicer)
caraway seed ( I usually use 1 T to each cup of rye)
salt (to taste)
1 part water (or enough to make things workable)

blend together and dehydrate!

I like to top it with Almond Butter

Don't give up on the sprouts. Try some lentils or peanuts - they are great too!

Mindi

[juliebove]

I grew up with alfalfa and mung bean sprouts. My mom always made them. Can't say that I care for them too much. But recently I decided to try sprouting peas, chickpeas, lentils, assorted beans and also a spicy radish mix. My favorites are the lentils and radish mix. They are good to eat atop a salad and I also like eating them as is. I just pick them up with my fingers and eat them.

I did try some recipes. Thyey sounded good because I like all of the ingredients in the recipes. But when they were put together, I didn't like them at all. This could be because I prefer most of my foods rather plain. I've never cared for salad dressing or even oil on foods. But recently I've tried dipping carrots in oil and then salt. I did this because I'd read that you need to eat carrots with a fat to bring out all of the nutrients in them. I actually like the carrots in the oil but I didn't care for oil on my sprouts.

[veganman]

One of my favorite uses for the kamut is as the "bean" for chili, it gives it a great chewy texture and good flavor.

Mindi -

thanks for the great info. I will try kamut. Your chili sounds wonderful. Could I get that recipe?

[chilove]

Well, since you asked...:-) I don't think that grains and legumes are natural human foods, if you have to cook it or sprout it and add lots of salt/spices to it to make it palatable it probably wasn't meant for us to eat. I feel best with sweet, juicy fruits, tender greens and some veggies.

Take care,

Audrey

[mattsonfamily]

Chili

I use the word "recipe" very loosely here

Blend the following in blender:

1 cup sun dried tomatoes soaked
1 cup tomato soaking water
1/3 cup dates - honey, agave necter, soaked raisins work well too (adjust for sweetness to your liking)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 - 2 T Italian seasoning
1 - 2 T lemon/lime juice
2 - 5 cloves of garlic
1 handful basil
Sea Salt or Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste
Hot Peppers and/or Chili Powder to taste

Add:

2 cups fresh tomatoes chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finelysweet onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots (if I feel like adding them)

Add 3-4 cups bean, pea, lentil, wheat sprouts. Aduki sprouts are fun in this too. Sprinkle with dry parsley flakes before serving.

The fun thing is to clean out your fridge - use up any leftover tomato based sauces etc. Use fresh veggies and sprouts that you have on hand! If you are missing an ingredient, don't worry add something else. You can even put jicama or avocado in it too. For a rich flavor try adding some Raw Mesquite Powder.

Best of Luck!

Mindi

[Maria]

I have been raw four months now and I don't spout anything except the nuts. I don't have time actually with my current work load. I eat mostly green smoothies, salads, and one dehydrated type of patty that lasts for several days and meals, pates, lots of fruit, and crackers. I've been wondering if I'm missing any nutrition by not eating many sprouts and grains. The green smoothies seem to take care of any cravings I might have.

Maria

[Nature_is_Yummy!]

Legumes were meant to be eaten fresh. But you never see them sold that way huh? Just peas in a pod, sugar-snap peas, etc. They are perfectly edible... although some still say they're toxic and not "specified for our species." (that's from the Raw Secrets)

Grains... for those of us who believe grains are the "Staff of Life..." I don't even know what that means exactly, but it certainly means they are edible, right? They only way to eat grains raw is to soak them, which inevitably leads to sprouting... so I say it's natural. It's meant to be.

Are sprouts good or bad? Think about it. Every plant was once a sprout. That's just how a seed becomes a plant. So how can they be bad? Everything we eat came from a sprout. Sprout simply means "little plant." Am I wrong?? If so, somebody let me know!

[RawTruth]

Okay -- I need some clarification here.

When you sprout the grain or legume -- you let the sprout get green and then you cut the sprout off and leave the "shell" behind, right?

That's my understanding of how we should eat sprouts.

Is this how you're eating them, veganman?

[veganman]

Okay -- I need some clarification here.

When you sprout the grain or legume -- you let the sprout get green and then you cut the sprout off and leave the "shell" behind, right?

That's my understanding of how we should eat sprouts.

Is this how you're eating them, veganman?

Hi RawTruth -

no, I am sprouting so that they have little tails and am eating the legume or grain.